2004   The Valentine
by ohiomyown
Summary: In 1983 after the major break-up at the trailhead, Ennis Del Mar knew that he had two choices: he could go after that sweet life with Jack Twist, or lose him forever. This story takes place 21 years later near Valentines Day.
1. Chapter 1

**2004 - Part 1 A Well Digger's Ass**

"**It's colder'n a well digger's ass out here," Jack fussed, "and you pick tonight to get all romantic on me."**

"**Get that glove off and give me your hand, li'l darlin," Ennis demanded, "I'll warm ya up. See how warm my hand is?"**

"**Yeah, warm hands, cold heart!"**

"**And look at that full moon," continued Ennis as if he hadn't been interrupted by his sullen lover, "you ain't gonna deprive me of my Friday night stroll with my honey, are ya?"**

**If there was anything that would get Jack Twist out of a hissy fit, it was hearin sweet nothins from Ennis Del Mar. Over the years, they were harder to come by than a snowstorm in July, but by 'n by, Ennis had learned to loosen his tongue and to let Jack know how much he loved him and how he valued their time together.**

**The first twenty years had been rocky; they could find no way to settle things between them. Both had been unhappy with the amount and quality of time they got to spend together but there seemed no way to fix it. They were each filled with longing, couldn't communicate how they felt and saw no solution to their dilemma.**

**Jack turned his back to the wind and nuzzled Ennis' neck. His poor nose felt like an icicle already, but his man didn't seem to notice or care. "Don't mean to be so grouchy, Cowboy. It's just that I've got a lot on my mind and this blizzard ain't helpin' none."**

"**I know ya do, babe, thought I could distract you for a few minutes. Will ya let me try?" Ennis didn't voice his other thought 'a few inches of snow does not a blizzard make!', but he let that slide for the sake of peace.**

**Jack simply rubbed his thumb across Ennis' hand and showed his agreement with silence and a soft shoulder bump.**

**As they strolled hand in hand, they could not see the ground in front of them; nothing but white clumps as far as the eye could see, but they knew the way. **

**Long ago they'd set Friday evenings as Date Night. No matter what they had to do to arrange it, they'd share the final hours of the work week together; kicking back or kicking up their heels - didn't matter, as long as they were together.**

"**I thought we should do something special for Valentine's Day this year. Whadda ya think, Jack? Are ya up for a trip, or somethin?"**

"**You know we barely got enough money to keep our own place goin, and now we're supporting mama and daddy on their place, Ennis. How ya figure we could up and go somewhere?"**

"**Are ya suggestin we sell the Lightning Flat ranch and move your folks in with us, Jack, so's we could have a bit of extra cash?"**

"**No! Hell No, and Fuck No! I was just sayin how I don't see any way around that situation, and where would the money come from for a trip together? We work so many hours in the day, we hardly can find the time for our Date Nights lately."**

"**I don't mind the time to keep your folks place up, and our own too. We're lucky you have folks to take care of, it's not like I have anyone left in the world."**

"**Oh, I know, but . . ."**

"**I mean that, Jack. I love your mama as if she were my own dear mother. Even your curmudgeonly pop - I'm grateful to have him too."**

"**You're crazy."**

"**Crazy about you."**

**They got to their favorite spot, right where the creek dropped down over the boulders and made that rippling, gurgling sound. No matter the season, that creek sang it's song for them. In winter, the ice slowed the cascade, and lowered the tone. It was comforting to their ears all the year around.**

**Carefully, Ennis removed the tarp from the log seat. He shook the snow from it and placed it wet side down in front of their log. "Come on, sit here with me."**

"**You want my ass to freeze to that log?"**

"**If your ass freezes, Jack, you can bet I'm here to thaw it out for you. Have I ever let you freeze yet?"**

"**Only about a hundred times!"**

**Ennis forced his hand down the back of Jack's levi's and jockey shorts, grabbing a healthy handful of butt. "Feels chilly, but not frozen. Seems like you'll live, bud."**

"**You better check the other cheek, you don't want to miss any signs of frostbite or worse," smiled Jack as he unbuttoned and unzipped to allow Ennis greater acces to his "problem area".**

**Ennis decided the job called for both his hands, and he was so engrossed in this adventure that he completely forgot to look at the night sky and the other heavenly bodies. He moved one hand around to the front of Jack and guided that hot, growing part of him into his own warm waiting mouth. The taste of Jack always sent Ennis into pleasure mode; he couldn't get enough of him. He lost all sense of time or place, he didn't even feel the cold.**

**After Jack reached his shattering climax, his whole body was warm but he felt weak as a kitten. In a minute or two he was stronger and while still purring, he knelt in front of Ennis and repaid the favor. Once again they were both transported. No wonder it was their special place.**

**Tired and sweaty, they sat on the log to recuperate and look at the moon filling the winter sky. Each season presented a new tableau for their watching pleasure. The North Star, Big Dipper, Little Dipper, The Bear, The Archer, always moving, rotating around them. **

**Ennis had told Jack over the years all the stories his mother had told him as he gazed at his childhood sky. He knew he might not have all the facts right, but he recalled the stories as best he could, and shared them with his man. Jack especially loved hearing stories Ennis' mother told him. That was the only way Ennis could be a boy again, in his memory, sitting in his mother's lap listening to her voice tell the tales. Of course, by the time he was 12 or 13 he was too big he thought, to sit on his mother's knee, so he lay on the ground with his head in her lap. In their summers together, Ennis lay with his head in Jack's lap while he shared the stories.**

**It was getting late. They shook out the tarp and draped it over the log seat once again. They'd be back when they had time. Tomorrow would be a long day, and it was now time for bed.**

**The next morning, they made sweet love at first light and then shared a shower where they enjoyed just a few minutes to play. Never enough time. **

**Their breakfast was eaten on the fly. They packed a thermos of coffee, several egg sandwiches with tiny bits of bacon and a handful of apples. That would hold them till they reached Lightning Flat where the old folks awaited their arrival. **

**Tbc **


	2. Chapter 2

2004 - The Valentine Part 2

Now & Then

In the morning, they made sweet love at first light and then shared a shower where they enjoyed just a few minutes to play. Never enough time.

Their breakfast was eaten on the fly; having packed a thermos of coffee, several bacon and egg sandwiches and a handful of apples to take along. That would hold them till they reached Lightning Flat where the old folks awaited their arrival.

"They're here! They're here," Delores called over her shoulder at John, her husband of sixty six years. She reached for her cane and pulled herself to a standing position before stepping gingerly to the door to open it in welcome.

"Tell you what, it's about damn time. The day's 'bout half over, as it is."

Dee turned to her husband and gave him a warning glare. "These boys are all we got, and we're blessed to have them. You rather spend your dying days in an old folks home, or more likely, the poor house?"

"Allright, allright." he muttered. "I take yer meanin."

Jack charged through the door first and brought with him a frigid draft of air that was in the teens. His teeth chattering, he grabbed his mama carefully and gave her a tender squeeze. She hugged him back warmly.

Ennis came in next carrying a huge cardboard box filled with groceries. He sat it on the counter and then collected his own hug. "Hey Mama Twist, how you holdin' up this week?"

The boys greeted the old man out of politeness and inquired as to his state of health. They did not stop to listen to his usual litany of complaints, but began unloading the groceries and putting them in their rightful places. Delores had sat back in her place at the table. She couldn't stand for long these days.

"What's that I smell?" she asked.

"It's a roasted chicken we brought from that deli in Gillette, mama. How 'bout we light the oven and bake some sweet potatoes while Ennis and I take inventory for the stock sale next weekend. We'll have dinner when we come back in an hour or so."

Delores was delighted with the plan, John was grousing as usual, and the boys got their gear together and went on to their tasks. Since that fall on the ice, she couldn't do much in the way of cooking. They ate cereal most nights, as long as the milk held out; and canned soup if Delores was getting around better that day.

"Compound fracture" is what the doctor said. It was not healing as quickly as it should, making life precarious for the two old folks. John had been in a wheel chair since '99 and she could no longer make up all the slack. He blamed her of course, but what else is new?

Ennis and Jack had talked and talked. They'd decided that their goal had to be to keep the parents in their own home as long as possible. This plan was working out fine; they came every weekend, but that was not enough time to care for the folks, and care for the animals as well. The animals had to be sold. John threw a hissy fit every time it was mentioned. But there was no other choice and he knew it. Never thought the day would come that he couldn't care for his own land and stock. Truth be told, he hadn't been able to for several years now and it brought tears to his eyes, but never in front of anyone else. It broke his heart to be so helpless. It truly did. "It's a bitch to get old." he mumbled beneath his breath. John Twist swiped his shirtsleeve across his eyes and pretended it wasn't happening.

Jack had brought a big stack of clean clothes and towels in from the truck. Mama just flat out could not do the laundry anymore. So each week, they took the soiled clothing, tablecloth, towels and whatnot home with them to be washed and dryed. Nothing got ironed, but that was not important to any one of them.

While the boys counted the cows, bulls, chickens, goats and horses, Delores ran a bath for John. She trimmed his hair with the barber tools she'd used for years on her husband and her son. Then she led him into the steamy bathroom, and assisted him into the tub.

John could bathe himself, but could not get in and out of the tub alone. Soon, she'd be too weak to even help with that, and they'd have to wait for Jack or Ennis to do it. A weekly bath was all they could manage. She knew he was pretty gamey by the time the week was up, but it couldn't be helped. She wondered if she smelled as bad as he did at times.

The elder Twists were both clean and wearing fresh clothes by the time the animal inventory was completed. The dirty laundry that Jack would take home with him was piled in the corner as usual. After the mid-day dinner, Ennis and Jack would remake the old folks bed, and stack the dirty sheets and pillow cases with their clothing they'd worn that week. He'd wrap it all together in the sheets and take it home to wash.

Delores managed to get the plates on the table. Truth be told, she no longer put them up in the cupboards anymore. She kept the four clean plates, bowls, cups and silverware in the dish drainer and threw a clean tea towel over them. They were at hand this way, and no climbing necessary. Compromises have to be made when our bodies give out on us. At least they were able to have clean dishes all week, within reach in the dish drainer.

Over coffee, Ennis and Jack showed the numbers to the old man. He seemed surprised that the counts were pretty close to what he'd remembered, with just a slight increase for births. They calculated what they thought (or hoped, more likely) about what they would all bring.

They discussed keeping a couple of the chickens to have fresh eggs, but everything else had to go. They'd count on having a garden again only if mama got to where she could get around well enough.

The sale was set for the next weekend, and John called it in to the Classified Ads section of the local paper. He set the prices, and left his name as contact person. A man needed to be in charge of something, especially when he'd given his entire life to running the place. Until lately, of course.

The sun had set and the lamps were lit. Ennis went out to the truck to get something he'd been saving for just such an occasion. It was just an ordinary looking box, maybe 14 x 14 inches, give or take. And the picture on the top of the box was of a baseball game in progress. It was originally painted by Norman Rockwell, but with his realistic style, even John loved it. Baseball was his favorite thing. It was a jigsaw puzzle. The family happily set about turning all the 1000 pieces right side up on the dining table. Then they located all the edge pieces and the fun was on. The background was hard. It was a crowd scene of all the people in the stands along the first base side. And the hot dog vendor. And the cotton candy seller. It was going well, when Jack's stomach growled.

Everyone laughed at him, including himself. "Is it popcorn time?" he asked.

By ten p.m. they'd made a good amount of progress on the jigsaw puzzle, and they'd had popcorn and cold apple cider. It was time for tooth brushing, washing up and hitting the hay. It had been a really long, very hard day.

John had been so amenable to the boys, he got himself a good night kiss from Delores. Maybe there was something to this 'being nice' idea. He smiled after telling his wife good night, and they fell asleep in their old bed.

Ennis and Jack fondled each other, kissing and becoming passionate. It was hard to be in the same bed, or even the same room with each other without wanting, touching and tasting. After all these years, forty one or so years it was, and they still wanted each other. Glory be.

On Sunday morning, they loaded up all the things they were taking home with them, and then filled their thermos and made sandwiches. The folks had oatmeal and toast waiting for them when the truck was fully loaded. They ate hurriedly and got on the road before 9:30.

It had been a good weekend with the old folks and if push came to shove, the boys might just consider (not agree to, but consider) bringing the parents to come live with them. Someday.

Each day, Delores and John made a little progress on the puzzle. And John took calls, enquiries, offers and counter offers for the animals in his sale. John loved having this new responsibility; he kept detailed notes.

Tbc in part 3


	3. Chapter 3

2004 - Valentine Story Part 3

Hard Work And Fun

They kept in touch by phone the next week, John reporting on his successes and failures with folks who called in response to the classified ad. Jack could hear a new energy in his dad's voice, a new confidence. He could also hear, maybe for the first time, that his dad wanted his approval.

The two men worked on their own place through Thursday morning, and then headed up to the family place with stacks of clean laundry, a box of blank bills of sale, and several goats and some chickens. It was an opportunity for them to slim down the variety of stock on their own place; hopefully these goats and chickens would sell right along with the Twist's animals.

They stopped at Reeds' Grocery in Gillette for the few items on mama's grocery list. As always, they noted the sky-high prices of cigarettes these days, and were glad for many reasons that they had quit back in '85. It wasn't easy, but they had challenged each other and themselves. They never backed down on a challenge.

On Friday, Jack and Ennis began immediately after breakfast, to comb and curry every animal in sight. Might make selling the stock easier, so they made a quick attempt to get everyone ship-shape. The sale was to begin Saturday at 8 a.m., but human nature being what it is, they left a stack of bills of sale with John, for when those early birds showed up a day ahead of time.

Sure enough, when Jack and Ennis came in for Friday's noon dinner, there was a strange pick-up truck in the lane. Mr. Bill Abner, seeing John in the wheel chair and Delores on a cane, expected they were having a desperation sale. He was in the midst of making a low ball offer when the two strapping, healthy men walked in the back door.

As a show of strength, Jack said, "We culled and graded the herd like you said, dad. The A-1's are moved to the near corral, the A-2's are prepped and ready to move up. What do you want us to do next?"

John caught on to what Jack was doing, deferring to him like that, so he said, "Son, this is Mr. Bill Abner; Bill this is my son Jack and his business associate, Mr. Del Mar. Before we proceed with the sale, Jack can take you out to show you our best stock. You decide how many you want to buy, and just let me know. I'll take care of your transaction at that time. Take all the time you need to look'em over good."

By the time Jack had charmed Mr. Abner for an hour or so, he wrote John a nice check for all the black baldies, which was most of the herd and two standard work horses.

They hurried to get a bite to eat then, and as soon as they had eaten, but before they had time to enjoy pie and coffee, a local teacher showed up to buy all the goats for the 4H kids to raise over the upcoming two semesters. Unlike their previous customer, Tom Grady, the 4H teacher, had a trailer large enough to take the goats with him at once.

Tom mentioned to Jack that the shop teacher at his high school, Darin Mentor, might be interested in the remaining horses for his small farm. He gave private lessons after school and on Saturdays to kids for trail as well as rodeo riding. He came into the kitchen and called the other teacher. Sure enough, Darin relied on Tom's assessment of their quality and had Tom pay for the animals for him. The timing for him was perfect.

After shop class was over at the high school, Darin drove out to the Twist place to pick up his horses, but had a look around before leaving. He was also interested in the remaining 7 head of cattle. Since he was buying several things, John made him a good deal on the cows, and he went away completely satisfied with the deal.

By 4 o'clock the neighbors had come in two by two and bought up all the laying hens and roosters that they had to sell. Delores refused twice to sell her last two (and best) layers. Looking to their future, if they had nothing else, they'd have eggs for breakfast.

John was like a new man. "We got anything else out there ta sell? Are ya sure?" He had never had so much fun in his life. With all the livestock gone, he thought maybe they should sell the tractor and combine. It was obvious he would not be using them, so before dark he had Ennis drive and drag the various pieces of farm equipment up near the barn.

Jack made a sign that read:

"ALL ANIMALS SOLD -

Come on back to see the Tractor and Combine".

He tacked it on the front gate out by the road, so the earliest newcomers would see it before driving up the lane and waking them in the morning. It was a nice idea, but didn't stop the parade of buyers from coming to the sale that was supposed to be Opening on Saturday. "What do you mean, you're sold out?" they wanted to know.

Finally, Delores gave an armload of quilts she'd made over the years to Ennis and had him hang them on the clothesline, with a hefty price tag attached.

She sent Jack down to the root cellar for jars of jellies, preserves and vegetables that she'd put up, but decided at the last moment that she couldn't part with any of these. She had no idea when she'd be healthy enough to make more. Jack put them in the lower kitchen cupboards within easy reach for her, because often there was no one around to help her.

At John's imploring desire to sell more stuff, Delores decided to let the men put out a box of a few dozen extra fresh eggs to sell. Those went fast.

The tractor and combine didn't sell till Saturday afternoon, but the price was reasonable. Both buyer and seller got a fair trade, and John knew he could never use them again, so why hang on for a higher price? He'd had so much fun, he just wished he'd had more items to sell. For the first time, he thought he understood what Jack enjoyed about being a farm equipment salesman.

All but one of the quilts sold to a woman who owned an antique and gift store called Marie's Old And New Shop. She made an attractive offer for all the quilts that Delores had left and after negotiating awhile, she accepted the sale, for 25% more than Marie's original offer.

The one quilt the lady didn't get, was sold earlier to a young woman who was getting married, and wanted the quilt for her bridal bed. Delores was happier about that one sale, than the profit from all the others.

She realized that she wanted to begin right away to make more quilts, and sell them to individuals. She loved seeing their faces when they found the one that would become a part of their life. Her cedar chest was full of scraps of fabric; she knew she'd be having fun quilting for a long, long time.

Before Marie left with her quilts in the back seat of her car, she asked permission to rummage through the barn or any other out building. They agreed she could go look for treasures, but only if someone accompanied her. It was better to be safe than sorry, and Ennis agreed to make sure she was safe and the owners' liability was protected.

The light was dwindling, but within twenty minutes a dusty, disheveled Marie found several treasures to make offers on: a washstand from the old bunkhouse, three various sized picture frames from previous generations, a chamber pot, and an iron bedstead. She would need to come back with a truck for such large pieces, but that was just right with her. She wanted to have more time to dig before these folks gave up on her snooping.

The family was wrung out, tired after such a day as this. They had grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for a light supper and headed to an early bed.

Ennis and Jack kissed good night, snuggled a bit and slept like logs for the rest of the night. Delores' bad leg ached a bit, she took an aspirin and then slept through the night; John dreamed of selling to eager buyers, he tossed and turned quite a bit until midnight, then fell into a restful sleep.

Sunday morning dawned in a downpour. The rain held steady while they breakfasted on pancakes, bacon and eggs. John said, "Ya know? I shoulda sold my pick up!"

They all laughed at him, and dove back into their plates, enjoying every bite.

While the rain poured outside, they tallied up the money they had earned from the sale of the various animals, quilts, eggs, atiques and equipment. Jack and Ennis had a bit of cash from the sale of a few goats and chickens, but the bulk of the income was divided 50-50 between John and Delores.

When she asked why her share was so large, John replied "I never woulda had nothing in my life without you. You earned it."

Jack thought maybe there was hope for his dad after all.

Soon Ennis and Jack were on the road heading home, and that night it was with a glorious sense of awe that they slept in their own bed again.

Sleepily Ennis spoke in Jack's ear, "I ain't forgot I didn't get my Friday Night Date, ya know. We worked right on through it. You're not cheating me outa my Valentine's present though. Good night, bud." Immediately, he was snoring lightly.

Jack snuggled down further into the quilts, buried his nose in Ennis' hair and whispered, "Ya know you can get anything you want outa me, Cowboy. All you gotta do is say so."

Tbc in part 4


	4. Chapter 4

2004 - The Valentine - Part 4

Once again, Ennis and Jack busied themselves with laundry, repairs, packing and grocery shopping. It was almost becoming routine for them to compress their work into the first part of each week. By Thursday, February 12th, they were ready to leave Osage, in northeastern Wyoming where their small ranch was located, to head on up to Lightning Flat to check on the folks and their place.

The mood was quite different on this trip than it had been for the past several months. For one thing, the Twists now have some money of their own, so Jack was not as concerned about their finances. He seemed more light-hearted because of it.

And Ennis, for his part, was downright pleasant. He seemed as if he were keeping a secret to himself. He smiled and hummed as he drove.

Jack kept up a running commentary as they drove along, but that was not unusual. What was different was that Ennis joined in, and answered back with ideas of his own.

"Yes, it was a very nice day."

"Yes," he noted that there was a new Sinclair filling station on that corner. And he agreed with Jack that the atmosphere in the area seemed to be picking up. They even saw a couple "Help Wanted" signs in windows.

Next he pointed out that the Culbertson's seemed to have a couple new horses in that lower pasture, and so on. They checked out the environment, now familiar to them, as they'd driven this route weekly for months. Perhaps the only difference was that winter was losing its grip on the area. But all in all it seemed quite hopeful.

When they passed Rocky Point, they were practically there, and wondered how the folks had fared these past few days. Unexpectedly, the mood continued to be buoyant with the elders when they arrived. Smiles wreathed their faces. John was busily cutting out and stacking squares of fabric while Delores stitched away, creating a new quilt with her own original design.

They dropped their work to greet the young ones; admittedly, they were only young in relation to the elderly couple, not in actual years.

They talked loudly and excitedly as they unloaded the groceries, and the laundry. Ennis told Mama Twist, "We brought something special for you."

John chimed in with, "Not another jigsaw puzzle, I hope!"

Grinning, Ennis replied, "What's wrong, didn't you like the puzzle?"

"Sure I did, but it takes over your life if you let it!"

As Jack and his dad were talking quietly about the results of the sale, Ennis spoke privately with Delores. "We brought you the fixins for a cherry cake. Thought you might want to make one for the two a you for Valentine's Day."

"Aren't you just the sweetest boy?" she crooned. "This would have been my first year to miss making it."

When she looked worried, Ennis read her mind and said "Now, now. I'll help you and so will Jack. Guess it won't be a surprise for the old man though, he'll see what we're making."

"How much of a surprise could it be anyway, when I've made the same thing for the preceding 65 Valentine's Days?" she laughed, "John will love it no matter what, it's his favorite dessert."

Still speaking quietly, she asked Ennis, "How's your plan going for your little trip?"

"Pretty good, he don't even ask about it, cause he thinks we can't do it. We'll leave tomorrow after lunch, n' get there in time for dinner."

"Let's make the cherry cake in the morning then, how's that sound?"

"Perfect!"

Meanwhile, it looked like Jack and his dad were up to something sneaky the way they huddled together and spoke in undertones. John had been cutting heart shapes out of red polka dotted material when Delores wasn't looking, but he couldn't figure out how to make something of them. Jack, not being a sewer, couldn't think of anything either. Eventually, he'd need his wife's help. That's all there was to it.

They ate soup and sandwiches for lunch before the boys took their guns and went out to hunt ducks or geese. The folks went back to their quilting for an hour before napping in their easy chairs.

As Ennis and Jack strode across the newly empty pastures, they periodically saw the sky fill with giant vees of migrating birds returning to the area. Only when the geese saw a pond or a field of grain, did they become tempted enough to come down low for a good look around, putting them in range of their guns. Jack shot the first one; a big Canada Goose, and then grumbled as he had to walk a half mile to find the bird and wring its neck. At least the strenuous walking warmed him up, and he stopped barking about how cold it was.

Ennis shot another, and they proceeded back to the house to prep them for cooking. Later, the entire house smelled of roasting fowl. The aroma was delicious. When the meat was roasted, Ennis and Jack each took one goose and removed the meat from the bones, saving everything.

The family feasted that night on goose, baked potatoes, corn and baking powder biscuits. There was tapioca pudding for dessert. The leftover meat was portioned for the elder Twists, and packaged for the freezer. For some time, it had been a concern for Ennis and Jack that Delores and John were not getting enough protein. Their hunting trip had been planned to solve that.

When the small packages of roasted goose were put in the freezer, The bones were wrapped and refrigerated. Delores would happily boil the bones for stock, and make soup later in the week.

In bed that night, Jack asked Ennis if he thought his dad looked okay. "I thought he seemed a bit slower, maybe he was just tired." Jack consoled himself with the idea that it was just fatigue.

"I didn't notice it. I'll pay special attention from now on. If so, maybe we should think about moving them in with us sooner than we'd planned, bud."

In the morning, as soon as breakfast was over, the four set about making a cherry cake. John offered to pit the cherries, Delores measured out the flour, sugar, cinnamon, butter and milk and put them in the bowls in proper order. Jack stirred the batter after it got too stiff for his mama to do. Ennis set the oven on 350 degrees and greased the cake pans. He then took a turn stirring before disappearing upstairs.

When the cake was in the oven, the boys played pinochle with the elder Twists, never beating them once.

While the cake cooled, the family had a lunch of leftovers from the goose dinner. As soon as Jack and Ennis finished doing the dishes, Ennis announced to Jack that he needed to speak with him.

Looking serious, Jack asked, "What's up, Cowboy? Is it dad?"

"No. Well, yes. He and your mama need to be alone for Valentine's Day. You know that, right? We need to get out of here for a bit. Okay?"

Jack was taken aback, he certainly never thought of his parents as needing time for "romance". Ewww. Ennis told him to go ahead and get in the truck, they'd take a ride or something.

He look befuddled and did not know what to do, he wasn't expecting this for sure. Unbeknownst to Jack, Ennis had thrown their overnight bags in the truck earlier.

They quickly said good-bye to the folks. Jack saw that his parents were grinning. He thought he knew the reason, but he was wrong. The elder Twists were in on the secret trip that Ennis had planned for Jack.

They pulled out of the gravel drive, and turned south down 59, back toward Rocky Point. Ennis passed Weston and continued driving until he picked up 14/16 just northeast of Gillette. They drove in silence, Jack getting more and more restless, until they stopped in Spotted Horse to gas up the truck.

"Where in the goddamn hell are you taking us, Ennis? I've been patient, but this is not just a little drive to give my folks some time alone, they're alone all week for fuck's sake!"

Ennis put some coins in the Coke machine sitting outside the filling station office, and retrieved an icy, cold can of Coke. He cracked the tab open and took a large gulp, then handed the can to Jack. "I'm taking you on your valentine trip, bud, like I said I wanted to all those weeks ago. I'm sorry we've kept it a secret from you, but it was supposed to be a surprise."

"We?"

"Yeah, your folks are in on it too."

"I don't know why you have to make it such an all fired production, Ennis. Where we going, anyway?"

"I'd still like it to be a surprise, Jack. Can you just relax, and come along for the ride? It will be obvious in another hour and a half, maybe two. Just enjoy the scenery."

"Why? Are you going to do a strip tease for me?" Finally Jack found something to smile about.

"Maybe. If you're good." smirked Ennis.

Now that the tension was relieved a bit, they talked as they drove; admiring the mountains and the valleys, the enormous beauty of Wyoming splayed out before them.

By 3 p.m. they were within ten miles of Sheridan, Wyoming and the traffic picked up noticeably.

Main Street was festooned with banners hung astride the road, welcoming the Northern Wyoming Rodeo Association. Motel signs welcomed visitors here for the rodeo. Diners advertised their specials with names like Bronco Buster Burgers and other rodeo-themed foods. Jack was smiling ear to ear. "Is this my surprise, Ennis? You brung me to the rodeo?"

Ennis looked so happy, and he loved seeing the pleasure in Jack Twist's face. "You bet, darlin'. Do ya like it?"

"Nothing could be better, Ennis. You picked the best trip I could ever want."

"Good, then I guessed right. You want to eat first before we get into more rodeo traffic and all the crowds?" offered Ennis.

"No, I love the crowds, and the noise, even the dust. And there's nothing I like better than rodeo food. Think I'll get me a corn dog to start with, how about that, Ennis?"

"You get whatever you want, this is your day. But I think we should reserve a room before they're all gone. You got any druthers?"

"Well. Since I ain't been to Sheridan for a coon's age, I don't know that I have a preference. We prob'ly oughta get the cheapest room we can find, don't you think, Cowboy?"

"Not necessarily, not this time. This is a special trip and a special day. And just so you know, your dad slipped me fifty bucks this morning, said it was because a all the hard work we did on their sale."

"Oh, Ennis! Maybe we shouldn't take his money. Maybe shoulda told him no thanks."

"No, I don't think so. You should have seen his face when he gave it to me. See how proud he was that he could do it. And how long it's been since he could do that for his son and for me."

"So. Motel room, rodeo, steak dinner, hot tub. In that order. How's that sound?" fantasized Jack.

"Sounds perfect to me, valentine."

The Oregon Trail Motel seemed clean and had a hot tub on site. The first order of business when they got inside was to hit the shower, together, and get some private time with their sexy man. That took longer than they had planned. They shaved and dressed for the rodeo, Jack grinned when he saw the overnight bag that Ennis had packed for him. He had thought of everything.

They walked the three blocks to the arena; hordes of people were strolling the sidewalks, jostling for space, calling to each other, shouting, smiling; excitement was in the air. The day was cooling off as the afternoon sun slanted across the sky, revealing millions of dust motes kicked up by animals and people alike.

When they'd handed in their tickets, Jack's heart was beating double-time as he smelled that old smell of horses, cattle, dust and cotton candy. It brought back a million memories.

"Bringin' back memories, is it?" Ennis asked. He raised his eyebrows in question about where to sit. Jack nodded in agreement that this was a good spot. They climbed about a third of the way up the bleachers and took seats in a nearly empty row. Soon, though, every seat was filled. They stayed in place at the end of the row so they ould get in and out without bothering folks.

The arena was filled with colorful flags, banners and the bright shirts of the contestants. "ICE COLD BEER" called the beer vendor, and Jack held up two fingers as the man neared their row.

"Thank you, Jack." Ennis said as he was handed the welcome brew. It had been a dry drive, and he was thirsty. They clinked their bottle necks together in a toast and in celebration that this was really happening.

The night was perfect all around. They couldn't have asked for a better trip, or for a more enjoyable time together. Even the weather cooperated.

"Don't you want that corn dog you were talkin about?"

"Not this time, maybe tomorrow. But I am getting ready for that steak dinner. How about it, Cowboy? Ready to leave?"

Several hundred other people had the same idea, but there were plenty of restaurants offering prime beef steaks and baked potatoes, so it was no problem. As they sat back, full and satisfied, Ennis confessed.

"I didn't buy you no fancy valentine card, bud." As he said this, he tapped his chest over his heart. "I hope you know what's in here though."

"What, no roses? No perfume?" teased Jack.

"Well, in fact, you deserve a bucket full of those long stemmed red roses, and all the pretty smelly stuff you could ever use, but you blew it. You fell in love with a poor ranch hand, way back on that mountain. And you're stuck with me now."

"Well, ain't you just the pretty talker tonight?"

"Yep. 'Cording to what they been sayin on TV, this is the day to say all that stuff."

Jack smiled at Ennis, and nodded. "It's only that you don't never need to say nothing, Ennis. You tell me every day how much you love me by what you do. Don't you know that by now, Cowboy?"

Ennis' heart stopped for a beat, and then resumed it's solid cadence. "I had sorta hoped so, Jack, but some things just need sayin, after all this time."

The waiter made eye contact as he cleared away their plates. Ennis nodded, and he brought their check. The hot tub beckoned.

As they strolled back to the motel, Jack's smile never dimmed. He shoulder bumped Ennis and remarked, "I'm a lucky, lucky man."

Just as he said this, Jack saw a street vendor with a bucket of roses, "just a sec, be right back." When he returned, he held a single rose, not red but yellow. Handing it to Ennis he said, "For my valentine."

Ennis blushed bright red, right out there on the street with people milling about. "Jack! You damn fool, people will see."

"People are seeing, Ennis. Look around you." And true enough, several people of all ages were noticing the two gray-haired men sharing a romantic moment. They smiled at them. Well, it is 2004, after all. Others walked on by as if nothing unusual were going on.

Two men? Big deal.

Jack lay back, soaking up the warmth of the water. All the other motel guests had called it a night. They were the only two left in the hot tub.

"Ah, this is perfect, Ennis. Just perfect."

"Well, not exactly my valentine. Only one thing missing." and he jumped out of the tub (they were both wearing swim trunks he'd packed for just this occasion) and got something he'd had hidden under his towel.

When Jack saw the red, heart-shaped box he whooped in glee! "Happy Valentine's Day, Jack."

"Oh, it is, it is," and opening the box, Jack saw that there were four pieces of chocolate missing, the empty brown papers just sitting there in silent evidence. "Could not restrain yourself, eh, Ennis?"

"No, I left 4 pieces for your folks. Wanted to make it special for them too."

"Ah, you think of everything, friend."

They each chose one chocolate; it took awhile to select just the right one! One was enough, and they soon got too sleepy to stay in the warmth of the tub. They went off to their room with the big, clean bed. It had been a long, wonderful but tiring day; they fell asleep as soon as they kissed good-night.

As soon as the light of dawn slanted across their bed, Ennis was awake, or parts of him were. He snugged up tighter behind Jack and wriggled against him, sending the signal that it was time to play. No word was spoken, but Jack's legs opened wider, giving access. The game was on.

Jack liked to pretend that it was all Ennis' doing, that he had nothing to do with it. With his eyes still closed he pushed his ass out and put pressure on Ennis' dick, silently saying, "take me now, take me strong, fuck me hard." Ennis knew the message well, and he went with it. His breathing quickly became rapid and harsh.

Twenty minutes later, they were coming down from that exquisite high of a good fuck the first thing in the morning. Ennis turned to Jack and licked the sweat off his belly, "I still kinda like you, Twist, after all these years."

"That's odd, I thought you were tired of me Del Mar."

"No. You MAKE me tired, there's a difference." they stretched and smiled.

They showered and shaved and while dressing, Ennis glanced over at the rose in the water glass taken from their bathroom the night before. He asked the question he'd forgotten to ask last night. "Why yellow?"

"Huh?" Jack asked as he stomped his boots on.

Ennis tucked in his shirt and poked his belt through the loops while commenting, "That feller had red roses, pink roses, even a kind of orangey roses in that bucket. What made you choose yellow?"

Jack straightened, all dressed and ready. "No secret there, my yellow-haired boy of 19. That's still how I see you, Ennis."

Understanding dawned on Ennis' face. "Ah," and he nodded and smiled.

It was hours before the first event of the day, but they needed coffee and breakfast. The morning was crisp and sunny as they walked over to the diner.

There was a hub-bub already going in there, as well as all the great smells of a breakfast shift in progress. After bacon, eggs, toast and coffee, they walked up around the arena, and the animal pens.

By ten, the clouds had gathered and the sky was overcast. The first events' contestants had to contend with the drizzle but they were used to that, and it did no more than add a tad of discomfort as the rain slid down their necks.

At a quarter till noon, the skies opened up and a deluge ensued. The temperature dropped sharply, and most folks, including Ennis and Jack decided it might be time to head on home. Check out time at the motel was at 1:00 p.m., so in case anyone was interested in a quickie, there was just enough time.

No quickie had ever been so long, tender and loving. They used up every single second of their time in that rented room, relishing their hours together away from all responsibilities.

Jack's hair drooped across his sweaty forehead, and Ennis pushed it aside and kissed him softly.

"I love you, Ennis Del Mar," Jack murmured. "always have, always will."

Ennis nuzzled Jack's neck, and said "I love you too, Jack Twist. Now get your sweet ass in that shower, we got less'n fifteen minutes to check out!"

This was quick rinse time, they'd already showered and shaved before breakfast. Soon they'd paid the bill and loaded everything in the cab of the truck to keep it dry.

As they drove along the highway toward home, Jack recounted all the things he'd enjoyed about their outing, and thanked Ennis again.

"All in all it didn't cost us that much, Jack. We should do something like this more often. You know, get away, fish, drink some whiskey . . ." Jack cocked an eyebrow at Ennis. Now where had he heard such a suggestion before? Sounded familiar.

"You're right, Cowboy, we should. But right now, I'm really looking forward to getting home, having our own place, our privacy . . . ."

"Uh. Yeah. About that. Jack, I think it's time to move your folks down to our place. We shouldn't put it off any longer."

Jack turned to look at Ennis and both men wore serious expressions. They were each concerned that they were getting on toward the end; the last phase of having parents with them, and they wanted it to be right.

"Yeah. Let's make a plan, and call them tonight."

The End


End file.
